International Olympic Committee

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Coordinates: 46°31′5″N 6°35′49″E / 46.51806°N 6.59694°E / 46.51806; 6.59694

International Olympic Committee
Comité International Olympique
Olympic rings without rims.svg
Motto Citius, Altius, Fortius
(Latin: Faster, Higher, Stronger!)
Formation 23 June 1894; 122 years ago (1894-06-23)
Type Sports federation
Headquarters Lausanne, Switzerland
Membership
 105 active members, 32 honorary members
Official language
 English and French
and the host country's official language when necessary
Honorary President
 Jacques Rogge [1]
Thomas Bach [1]
Vice Presidents
 Nawal El Moutawakel
Craig Reedie
John Coates
Zaiqing Yu [1]
Website Olympic.org

The International Olympic Committee (IOC; French: Comité international olympique, CIO) is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin, on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president. Today its membership consists of 100 active members, 32 honorary members, and 1 honour member. The IOC is the supreme authority of the worldwide modern Olympic movement.

The IOC organises the modern Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, held in summer and winter, every four years. The first Summer Olympics organised by the IOC was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896; the first Winter Olympics was in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Until 1992, both Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year. After that year, however, the IOC shifted the Winter Olympics to the even years between Summer Games, to help space the planning of the two events from one another, and improve the financial balance of the IOC, which receives greater income on Olympic years. The first Summer Youth Olympics were in Singapore in 2010 and the first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck in 2012.

Mission and role[edit]

Further information: Olympic Charter

The stated mission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to promote Olympic throughout the world and to lead the Olympic Movement.[2]

  • To encourage and support the organisation, development and coordination of sport and sports competitions;
  • To ensure the regular celebration of the Olympic Games;
  • To cooperate with the competent public or private organisations and authorities in the endeavour to place sport at the service of humanity and thereby to promote peace;
  • To act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement;
  • To encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women;

IOC Executive Board[edit]

Designation Name Country
President Dr. Thomas Bach  Germany
Vice-President Ms. Nawal El Moutawakel  Morocco
Vice-President Sir Craig Reedie  United Kingdom
Vice-President Mr. John Coates  Australia
Vice-President Mr. Zaiqing Yu  China
Director General Mr. Christophe De Kepper
Member Mr. Wu Ching-kuo  Chinese Taipei
Member Dr. René Fasel   Switzerland
Member Mr. Patrick Joseph Hickey  Ireland
Member Mrs. Claudia Bokel  Germany
Member Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch  Spain
Member Mr. Sergey Bubka  Ukraine
Member Mr. Willi Kaltschmitt Luján  Guatemala
Member Ms. Anita DeFrantz  United States
Member Prof. Dr. Uğur Erdener  Turkey
Member Mrs. Gunilla Lindberg  Sweden

IOC Commissions[edit]

Organization[edit]

See also: Presidents of the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Congress

The IOC Session[edit]

The IOC Session is the general meeting of the members of the IOC, held once a year in which each member has one vote. It is the IOC’s supreme organ and its decisions are final.

Extraordinary Sessions may be convened by the President or upon the written request of at least one third of the members.

Among others, the powers of the Session are:

  • To adopt or amend the Olympic Charter.
  • To elect the members of the IOC, the Honorary President and the honorary members.
  • To elect the President, the Vice-Presidents and all other members of the IOC Executive Board.
  • To elect the host city of the Olympic Games.

Honours[edit]

In addition to the Olympic medals for competitors, the IOC awards a number of other honours:

  • the IOC President's Trophy is the highest sports award given to athletes who have excelled in their sport and had an extraordinary career and created a lasting impact on their sport.
  • the Pierre de Coubertin medal is awarded to athletes who demonstrate a special spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events
  • the Olympic Cup is awarded to institutions or associations with a record of merit and integrity in actively developing the Olympic Movement
  • the Olympic Order is awarded to individuals for particularly distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement, and superseded the Olympic Certificate.

IOC members[edit]

Further information: List of members of the International Olympic Committee
The first IOC, at the 1896 Athens Games

For most of its existence, the IOC was controlled by members who were selected by other members. Countries that had hosted the Games were allowed two members. When named, they did not become the representatives of their respective countries to the IOC, but rather the opposite, IOC members in their respective countries.

Cessation of membership[edit]

The membership of IOC members ceases in the following circumstances:[3]

  1. Resignation: any IOC member may cease their membership at any time by delivering a written resignation to the President.
  2. Non re-election: any IOC member ceases to be a member without further formality if they are not re-elected.
  3. Age limit: any IOC member ceases to be a member at the end of the calendar year during which they reach the age of 80.
  4. Failure to attend Sessions or take active part in IOC work for two consecutive years.
  5. Transfer of domicile or of main center of interests to a country other than the country which was theirs at the time of their election.
  6. Members elected as active athletes cease to be a member upon ceasing to be a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission.
  7. Presidents and individuals holding an executive or senior leadership position within NOCs, world or continental associations of NOCs, IFs or associations of IFs, or other organisations recognised by the IOC cease to be a member upon ceasing to exercise the function they were exercising at the time of their election.
  8. Expulsion: an IOC member may be expelled by decision of the Session if such member has betrayed their oath or if the Session considers that such member has neglected or knowingly jeopardised the interests of the IOC or acted in a way which is unworthy of the IOC.

International federations recognised by IOC[edit]

There are currently 72 sport federations recognised by IOC.[4] These are:

Olympic marketing[edit]

1985 German Democratic Republic stamp

In the early 1980s, the Olympics were highly dependent on revenues from a single source – its contracts with US television companies for the broadcasts of the Olympic Games. Upon his election as President of the IOC in 1980, Juan Antonio Samaranch recognised this vulnerability and in consultation with Horst Dassler, a leading member of the Adidas family, the decision to launch a global marketing programme for the IOC was made. Samaranch appointed Canadian IOC member Richard Pound to lead the initiative as Chairman of the "New Sources of Finance Commission".

In 1982 the IOC drafted ISL Marketing a Swiss sports marketing company, to develop a global marketing programme for the Olympic Movement. ISL successfully developed the programme but was replaced by Meridian Management, a company partly owned by the IOC in the early 1990s.

In 1989, one of the staff members at ISL Marketing, Michael Payne, moved to the IOC and became the organisation's first marketing director. However ISL and subsequently Meridian, continued in the established role as the IOC's sales and marketing agents until 2002.[8][9] In 2002 the IOC terminated the relationship with Meridian and took its marketing programme in-house under the Direction of Timo Lumme, the IOC's managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services.[8] During his 17 years with the IOC,[8] in collaboration with ISL Marketing and subsequently Meridian Management, Payne made major contributions to the creation of a multibillion-dollar sponsorship marketing programme for the organisation which, along with improvements in TV marketing and improved financial management, helped to restore the IOC's financial viability.[10][11][12]

Revenue[edit]

The Olympic Movement generates revenue through five major programmes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) manages broadcast partnerships and The Olympic Partner (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme. The Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) manage domestic sponsorship, ticketing and licensing programmes within the host country under the direction of the IOC. The Olympic Movement generated a total of more than US$4 billion, €2.5 billion in revenue during the Olympic quadrennium from 2001 to 2004.

Revenue distribution[edit]

The IOC distributes some of Olympic marketing revenue to organisations throughout the Olympic Movement to support the staging of the Olympic Games and to promote the worldwide development of sport. The IOC retains approximately 10% of Olympic marketing revenue for the operational and administrative costs of governing the Olympic Movement.[13]

The Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs)[edit]

The IOC provides The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme contributions and Olympic broadcast revenue to the OCOGs to support the staging of the Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games:

  • TOP Programme Revenue to OCOGs; the two OCOGs of each Olympic quadrennium generally share approximately 50% of TOP programme revenue and value-in-kind contributions, with approximately 30% provided to the summer OCOG and 20% provided to the winter OCOG.
  • Broadcast Revenue to OCOGs; the IOC contributes 49% of the Olympic broadcast revenue for each Games to the OCOG. During the 2001–2004 Olympic quadrennium, the Salt Lake 2002 Organizing Committee received US$443 million, €395 million in broadcast revenue from the IOC, and the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee received US$732 million, €690 million.
  • Domestic Programme Revenue to OCOGs; the OCOGs generate substantial revenue from the domestic marketing programmes that they manage within the host country, including domestic sponsorship, ticketing and licensing.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs)[edit]

Further information: National Olympic Committee

The NOCs receive financial support for the training and development of Olympic teams, Olympic athletes and Olympic hopefuls. The IOC distributes TOP programme revenue to each of the NOCs throughout the world. The IOC also contributes Olympic broadcast revenue to Olympic Solidarity, an IOC organisation that provides financial support to NOCs with the greatest need.

The continued success of the TOP programme and Olympic broadcast agreements has enabled the IOC to provide increased support for the NOCs with each Olympic quadrennium. The IOC provided approximately US$318.5 million to NOCs for the 2001–2004 quadrennium.

International Olympic Sports Federations (IFs)[edit]

The IOC is now the largest single revenue source for the majority of IFs, with its contributions of Olympic broadcast revenue that assist the IFs in the development of their respective sports worldwide. The IOC provides financial support from Olympic broadcast revenue to the 28 IFs of Olympic summer sports and the seven IFs of Olympic winter sports after the completion of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Winter Games, respectively.

The continually increasing value of Olympic broadcast partnership has enabled the IOC to deliver substantially increased financial support to the IFs with each successive Games. The seven winter sports IFs shared US$85.8 million, €75 million in Salt Lake 2002 broadcast revenue. The contribution to the 28 summer sports IFs from Athens 2004 broadcast revenue has not yet been determined, but the contribution is expected to mark a significant increase over the US$190 million, €150 million that the IOC provided to the summer IFs following Sydney 2000.

Other organisations[edit]

The IOC contributes Olympic marketing revenue to the programmes of various recognised international sports organisations, including the International Paralympic Committee, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Sponsors[edit]

Controversies[edit]

Olympic Games
Jeux olympiques  (French)[14]
Olympic Rings
Main topics
Games

1976 Winter Olympics (Denver, Colorado)[edit]

Main article: Bids for the 1976 Winter Olympics

The cities of Denver, Colorado, United States; Sion, Switzerland; Tampere, Finland; and Vancouver (with the Garibaldi mountains), Canada, made bids for the Games.

The games were originally awarded to Denver on May 12, 1970, but a 300% rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado voters' rejection on November 7, 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds.[15][16]

Denver officially withdrew on November 15, and the IOC then offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of government following elections. Whistler would go on to be associated with neighbouring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 games.

Salt Lake City, Utah, a 1972 Winter Olympics final candidate who would eventually host the 2002 Winter Olympics, offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, which had hosted the 1964 Winter Olympics games twelve years earlier, on February 5, 1973.

Salt Lake bid scandal[edit]

Main article: 2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal

A scandal broke on 10 December 1998, when Swiss IOC member Marc Hodler, head of the coordination committee overseeing the organisation of the 2002 games, announced that several members of the IOC had taken bribes. Soon four independent investigations were underway: by the IOC, the USOC, the SLOC, and the United States Department of Justice.

Before any of the investigations could even get under way both Welch and Johnson resigned their posts as the head of the SLOC. Many others soon followed. The Department of Justice filed charges against the two: fifteen charges of bribery and fraud. Johnson and Welch were eventually acquitted of all criminal charges in December 2003.

As a result of the investigation ten members of the IOC were expelled and another ten were sanctioned.[17] This was the first expulsion or sanction for corruption in the more than a century the IOC had existed. Although nothing strictly illegal had been done, it was felt that the acceptance of the gifts was morally dubious. Stricter rules were adopted for future bids and caps were put into place as to how much IOC members could accept from bid cities. Additionally new term and age limits were put into place for IOC membership, and fifteen former Olympic athletes were added to the committee.

Other controversies: 2006–2013[edit]

In 2006, a report ordered by the Nagano region's governor said the Japanese city provided millions of dollars in an "illegitimate and excessive level of hospitality" to IOC members, including $4.4 million spent on entertainment alone.[18]

International groups attempted to pressure the IOC to reject Beijing's bid in protest of the state of human rights in the People's Republic of China. One Chinese dissident who expressed similar sentiments was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for calling on the IOC to do just that at the same time that IOC inspectors were touring the city.[19] Amnesty International expressed concern in 2006 regarding the Olympic Games to be held in China in 2008, likewise expressing concerns over the human rights situation. The second principle in the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Olympic Charter states that The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.[20] Amnesty International considers the policies and practices of the People's Republic as failing to meet that principle, and urged the IOC to press China to immediately enact human rights reform.[21]

In August 2008, the IOC issued DMCA take down notices on Tibetan Protest videos of the Beijing Olympics hosted on YouTube.[22] YouTube and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) both pushed back against the IOC, which then withdrew their complaint.

In 2010, the International Olympic Committee was nominated for the Public Eye Awards. This award seeks to present "shame-on-you-awards to the nastiest corporate players of the year".[23]

Before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games, the IOC decided not to hold a minute of silence to honor the 11 Israeli Olympians who were killed 40 years prior in the Munich Massacre. Jacques Rogge, the then-IOC President, said it would be "inappropriate" to do so. Speaking of the decision, Israeli Olympian Shaul Ladany, who had survived the Munich Massacre, commented: "I do not understand. I do not understand, and I do not accept it".[24]

In February 2013, the IOC did not include wrestling as one of its core Olympic sports for the Summer Olympic program for the 2020 Olympics. This decision was poorly received by the sporting and wrestling community. Wrestling will still be part of the program at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[25] This decision was later overturned, and wrestling will be a part of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/IOC_Members.pdf
  2. ^ "Chapter 2: Mission and Role of the IOC" (PDF). Olympic Charter. IOC. 8 July 2011. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 29 July 2012. 
  3. ^ Source: Olympic Charter, in force as from 1 September 2004.
  4. ^ "International federations". olympic.org. Retrieved 4 June 2012. 
  5. ^ "ASOIF – Members". asoif.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012. 
  6. ^ "AIOWF -Members". olympic.org. Retrieved 4 June 2012. 
  7. ^ "ARISF – Members". arisf.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014. 
  8. ^ a b c "IOC Marketing Supremo: Smile, Beijing". china.org.cn. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
  9. ^ "How the IOC took on Nike in Atlanta". Sports Business Journal Daily (Sports Business Journal). 11 July 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
  10. ^ "London Bid 'Has Improved'". sportinglife.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
  11. ^ "Boost for London's Olympic Bid". RTÉ Sport. 14 February 2005. Archived from the original on 21 September 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
  12. ^ Campbell, Struan (22 October 2008). "Payne – London 2012 to tap fountain of youth". Sportbusiness.com. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
  13. ^ IOC: Revenue Sources and Distribution
  14. ^ "Jeux Olympiques - Sports, Athlètes, Médailles, Rio 2016". olympic.org. 
  15. ^ "Colorado only state ever to turn down Olympics". Denver.rockymountainnews.com. Retrieved March 23, 2011. 
  16. ^ "The Games that got away – 2002 Winter Olympics coverage". Deseretnews.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Samaranch reflects on bid scandal with regret". 2002 Winter Olympics coverage. Deseret News Archives. 19 May 2001. Archived from the original on 26 February 2002. 
  18. ^ "Mainichi Daily News ends its partnership with MSN, takes on new Web address". Mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp. Retrieved 8 May 2012. 
  19. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (25 February 2001). "Beijing opens itself up to Olympic inspectors". Chicago Sun-Times. [dead link]
  20. ^ "Olympic Charter, in force as from 1 September 2004", International Olympic Committee
  21. ^ "People’s Republic of China: The Olympics countdown – failing to keep human rights promises" Amnesty International, 21 September 2006 Archived 18 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ^ IOC backs off DMCA take-down for Tibet protest http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/08/14/video-ioc-backs-dmca-take-down-tibet-protest
  23. ^ "The Public Eye Awards Nominations 2010". Public Eye. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2010. 
  24. ^ James Montague (5 September 2012). "The Munich massacre: A survivor's story". CNN. Retrieved 25 February 2013. 
  25. ^ "Wrestling dropped from 2020 Games". Espn.go.com. 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2013-12-03. 
  26. ^ "Wrestling reinstated for Tokyo 2020 | Olympics News". ESPN.co.uk. 2013-09-08. Retrieved 2013-12-03. 

Further reading

  • Chappelet, Jean-Loup; Brenda Kübler-Mabbott (2008). International Olympic Committee and the Olympic system: the governance of world sport. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-43167-5. 
  • Lenskyj, Helen Jefferson (2000). Inside the Olympic Industry: Power, Politics and Activism. New York: SUNY. 

External links[edit]

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